Through A Strangers Eyes
by independantsilverheart
Summary: Everything is confused yet normal in a childs world even when things may be slightly off
1. Chapter 1

I woke up to a vision of pink, with my bunny rabbit Strawberry George pressed tightly against my eyes. Last night I had that dream again, the one where Lily hadn't come back, and it had scared me. I pulled away from Strawberry, and rolled over, when some of the bed covers fell off. That coldness was bone-chilling, and shockingly icy. I lay there for a few more moments breathing in the crisp, cool air when I realised that it wasn't going to get warmer any time sooner. Ever since Lily went away mum has been strange, she hasn't been getting out of bed until after everyone is up, and cooking a lot. I guess she must be preparing for when Lily comes home.

I decided that it would probably have to be me who turned on the heater. So I slowly got out of bed, and stood on the bare floor-boarded ground searching for my slippers, when I realised that my bedroom door was open. I curiously walked out, for once not noticing the freezing house to find it silent and motionless as usual. I pressed the on button on the heater and went and watched Cartoons, waiting for the rest of the house to rise and shine.

My mum always said I was an early riser, but I reckon that everyone else is late at getting up. I was sitting in front of the bathroom mirror with my large pink hairbrush, sweeping away the loose hair around my face and pulling it into a large messy bun, when my mum walked in, after just waking up, insisting I do something else with my hair. For some reason something important was happening today, but I wasn't sure what. I mean on Fridays we have big family lunches, where everyone comes around but today isn't Friday, its Saturday, and now come to think about, yesterday Uncle Joe wasn't there, which is strange, because he always eats the big salad that mum makes, but yesterday it was barley touched.

After about a million years mum had finished my hair. All she had done was brush it, but with my hair that takes way too long to do every day. I let it hang around my face with its usual bounce, for about five seconds, when I pulled back my hair into its customary ponytail. My mum gave up and walked out of the room, I never like having my hair around my face, it tickles too much.

I went into the lounge room, where we have a big piano. I've always wanted to learn how to play it, but for some reason no one ever does teach me, and every time I ask the answer is always the same, some day in the near future. I can almost play Chopsticks, I taught myself, but it's a bit hard and complicated, I practise every day though.

I got tired after a while, after still not having got the hang of it, so I went into the Play room, where we have a TV, and my brother Charlie, as usual was watching music videos. He always does on a Saturday, right after Spongebob Squarepants finishes. As I walked in I could hear the introduction to _White Lines_, which in my opinion is the best song ever written by Jude Harrison. My brother feels differently, he thinks that _Waste My Time_ was the best one that she ever wrote, but that's only because it has Shay dueting with her. Shay is my brother's favourite artist, but I don't like him much because he doesn't really sing, he just talks really fast and also because he was really mean to Jude Harrison. I have always wanted to learn how to play the guitar as well as the piano, ever since last year when I saw Jude Harrison in the finals of Instant Star. Charlie almost flicked the television over to another music video channel, but stopped when he saw me standing in the doorway, he knows it's my favourite song. So I went and sat with him, watching all the music videos, even the ones with Shay in them.

When _Butterfly _came on, which is the latest song by Eden Taylor; I made a quick exit out of the room. I cannot stand the weird squealing whining voice she has. I don't know how, but my brother can actually stand her wailing, and he thinks that she is pretty; Eden Taylor and Pretty are two words that do not belong in the same sentence together. As I stood outside the play room I could smell cookies being baked and ran into the kitchen with a full expectation of getting one.

I stood there letting the smell of freshly baked delicious chocolate-chip cookies wash over me. It's one of my most favourite smells in the world; I was going to savour it for all it was worth. I reached over to the large black tray which, along with the cookies had just come out of the oven and was about to grab the biggest one there when I heard my mum warning me that I should wait for them to cool. I pulled back my hand and waited for her to leave the room. She smiled at me, turned around and walked into the backyard. I quickly grabbed one of the delicious cookies, sinking my teeth into it, when I realised they weren't just chocolate chip. They were choc-chip caramelised banana cookies with mint and honeycomb in them, Lily's favourite. Which means that if mum made Lily's favourite cookies, and something big is happening today, that must mean that Lily is coming home, right!

I excitedly ran out of the kitchen and was about to run upstairs where my brother was no doubt, still watching music videos when I heard a sharp knock at the door. I flew around the corner, missing the stairs, about to see Lily burst through when I heard a male voice. I stopped in my tracks, confused, but still hopeful. I slowly walked out, hoping to see Lily, when I saw a man walk in. I tried hard not to burst out in tears, but I thought that maybe Lily would be coming home. Then as the man looked down I realised it was no stranger, it was Uncle Tommy, the Uncle I hadn't seen for a whole year, I would have hugged him, or said hello, but I thought that Lily may have been here. I was so disappointed not to see her, I mean Uncle Tommy and I still have fun, but not as much fun as Lily and I have. As he crouched down at my level I realised he was still the same Uncle Tommy, but he looked a lot older. I couldn't help it, I burst out in tears. He looked at me, unsure what to do, he just kept looking at me, telling me with his eyes not to cry, and not to worry, But I couldn't not worry or not cry. Lily had been gone away for almost a week, what if my dream did come true, what if Lily did never come back.


	2. Chapter 2

Note: Italics are direct thoughts. The speech and narrator parts are in normal writing 

As usual the house on a Tuesday morning is completely muddled. Charlie has to go to school, and mum works near Charlie's school, so she takes him. My dad takes me and Lily to places on Tuesdays because he doesn't work then. Like last week when we went to the park and my daddy bought me and Lily a strawberry ice-cream cone. But no one can take me anywhere today, because Daddy and Lily went away somewhere together without me.

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing today, until Uncle Tommy got up… after everyone had left. I told him that he better make it up to me for getting up late, or else. I don't think he wanted to find out what the or else was, so he let me have whatever I wanted for breakfast. I chose a mixture of Coco Pops and Fruit Loops with Strawberry Milk. My mum never lets me have anything like that for breakfast, so I threw in a couple of chocolate chunk cookies for good measure. I sat down with Uncle Tommy, who had his own bowl of Coco Pops to watch Television.

Normally I would watch cartoons, but I decided that watching music videos would be funner. So we sat and watched

"Hey Luce" Tommy asked in a quiet tone

"Yeah?" I asked, noisily eating my sugary breakfast

He looked as if he was going to say something but stopped and paused while I slurped up my strawberry milk.

Just then White Lines came on.

"Oooooooooooooooo, yay, White Lines" I squealed

Uncle Tommy looked very surprised.

"You like Jude Harrison" he managed to finally choke out.

I just looked at him

"Everyone loves Jude Harrison, she's…Jude Harrison" But I had the feeling that no matter how many times I tried to explain it to him he wasn't going to get it.

"Hmph" I sighed as he looked at me with a blank expression.

"How about we get you ready for your day out, the Zoo is always nice in this weather" Uncle Tommy clearly is on my brother's side when it comes to music, but worse. Doesn't even like talking about Jude Harrison. I decided to give up and let him change the topic, even though he clearly needed some more knowledge about Rock Star Jude Harrison.

"I love the Zoo, especially the duckies." I replied. The education about Jude Harrison can come later. I wanted to see if Albert was still there.

**At the Zoo (1 hour Later)**

_I Love the Zoo, its so fun, I cant wait to get inside. Oh my god, who is that weird freaky blonde woman running towards us. If she doesn't shut her mouth and stop screaming I swear flies with fly in. It's true dad told me once, and he said someone swallowed a fly once. I think she must be scared of the Lions. I'm not._

"AreYouLittleTommyQ?" she sys waay too fast

Uncle Tommy looked kinda strange; he just stood there not even bothering to answer. But it's kinda strange that she called him Little Tommy Q.

"Oh My God, I knew it was you, I so totally knew from when I saw you park your car" The blonde said with no intention of slowing down "Katie I told you it was him, Come here" The blonde was motioning over to a short brunette standing next to a really big tree. Her friend instantly looked away, embarrassed, but then slowly walked over after a lot more coaxing from her friend.

"Can you sign something, can you please, Oh Oh, I know my hat, can you sign it, Please Please Please"

"Uh" Uncle Tommy looked strange again, kinda awkward and embarrassed

"Are you going to the Zoo as well, Katie and I are. You should so totally come with us. I come here all the time. I'll show you everything, The Birds, Alligator, Lions…."

_So She wasn't afraid of the Lions_

"Well actually-" Uncle Tommy made my presence known

"Ohhhh how cute. Always looking out for the less fortunate children I see"

"Well actually-"

"Was her last wish to see the zoo with Little Tommy Q"

Uncle Tommy just looked at her

"Oh, well, I mean-" The blone lady knew she had made a mistake with that single glare Tommy gave her

" Actually" I started " My name is Lucette, Uncle Tommy is my Uncle."

The woman just stood there with her mouth open.

Thankfully that gave us enough time to sneak around her and into the Zoo

**Back At Home **

"And then Albert looked around and realised that he couldn't see any of his family"

"Ohh, but he has to find them he has to.

_I was staring at the book because it told us to keep our eyes open. I have a theory that if you close them then you might not find him. I would test it out, but if I did I would never find him…._

"And then they all lived happily ever after" finished Uncle Tommy

I smiled happily_. I love that book; it changes every time I read it._

I snuggled under the covers and fell asleep, with happy dreams about Lily and me eating strawberry ice cream cones all day.


End file.
